With the ever increasing availability of smart phones, more and more users are able to use their mobile devices not just for telephone conversations, but for advanced services (e.g., Internet browsing, digital video playback, etc.) that would normally require a personal computer. Such smart phones typically include geo-positioning capabilities (e.g., GPS locators, etc.), allowing the mobile device to be cognizant of its present geographic location.
These advanced services come at the cost of increased power consumption, requiring a user to frequently charge the phone for reliable and continuous usability. In most smart phones, a user may be able to manipulate certain settings (e.g., WiFi connection on/off, Bluetooth connection on/off, etc.) to efficiently manage battery life. Typically, a user would have to manually control such settings based on the user's location. For example, when the user is home (with ready access to a power outlet to charge his phone), the user may have his WiFi and Bluetooth radios turned on. However, when the user is on the road, the user would have to remember to turn off the radios to be able to conserve power. The user would have to manually make desired changes based on changing geographic situations.
In another similar example, a user may wish to manually change ring-option settings based on the user's present location. For example, the user may desire full volume ring setting at home but may wish the phone on vibrate when he is outside of his house. The user may forget to change these settings every time he leaves or enters his house, leading to either missed calls at home or unintended interruption at public places.
In some examples, users may utilize the mobile phone to remotely control equipment (e.g., dish washer, HVAC control, etc.). For example, a user may connect to an automated system to remotely monitor and change temperature settings of his house. In present remote control systems, the user would need to manually connect to an online interface (e.g., using Internet browsing capabilities in his mobile phone) to be able to make such changes. There are some examples by which the user can automate such settings—for example, the user may set time-based control by which the temperature at his home shifts to particular values based on the time of the day. However, such automatic settings are unintelligent in that they are consistently applied regardless of whether the user is actually located at his home or not.